The Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist turns his skills to another passion – trumpet – and the result is an absorbing, eclectic, fusion of experimental jazz, electronica, spoken word of six originals and four covers, with collaborators including Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, Tortoise’s Jeff Parker, and Nick Cave. The trumpet, at the fore on all songs, is not a new interest, but one stemming from Flea’s childhood, and something he has practised often in his spare time at home and during RHCP tours. Instant standout and former Song of the Day A Plea has beautiful, nimble bass lines and a beguiling trumpet melody, before his impassioned spoken-word protest against current US culture of division and hate, with a delivery that has a throwback to something of Lost Poets or Gil Scott-Heron: “Peace and love is the toughest hardest thing you can do / Build a bridge that's where the courage is.” The track also features flute by Rickey Washington, the father of acclaimed jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington.Traffic Lights, featuring the ghostly voice of and co-written with Thom Yorke, is a stylish, understated, rhythmic number with African vibes, Parker’s guitar chops, alongside LA jazz luminati Deantoni Parks on drums, Nathaniel Walcott on Fender Rhodes, Mauro Refosco on percussion, and producer Josh Johnson on alto saxophone. On this track, and also in particular the 10-minute Frailed (which includes Warren Ellis – alto flute and viola and fellow Chili Pepper John Frusciante also on trumpet) Flea’s love of, and influence by Miles Davis is palpable with some musical echoes of In a Silent Way, joined ably also by upight bassist Anna Butterss. Morning Cry is another sharp original, Flea really sharp trumpeting dynamics. Of the covers, the Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain is a given an original twist a spoken, earthy introduction, and a beautiful trumpet part. Jimmy Webb’s Wichita Lineman is given a particularly slow jazz treatment with Nick Cave indulgently savouring every phrase. The Frank Ocean number Thinkin’ About You has particularly serene instrumental sheen with trumpet lead and orchestral backing. With final two Willow Weep For Me (after a piece by Ann Ronell) sees a slow piece with Flea accompanied by deep synth lines, and Free As I Want To Be is a slow funk-free jazz odyssey with a repeated refrain moving in to piano and trumpet overdrive.
The album makes a tribute to family connections. It is named after Flea’s great-great-grandmother, and inspired by her difficulties with poverty in Ireland and her immigration to Australia, while the cover art features a 1960s-era photo of Flea's mother-in-law Shahin Badiyan in Iran. Overall, a fun, passionate, original release that comes as a refreshing alternative side the talented American rocker. Out on Nonesuch Records.
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